Libya and Europe's divisions over foreign policy

Timothy Garton Ash is right to highlight how domestic political pressures have led to serious differences between EU leaders on Libya (Comment, 24 March), but it would be too simplistic to argue that this shows a complete failure of the EU's new foreign policy mechanisms. The EU high representative, Cathy Ashton, has had the challenging task of juggling the views of France, Britain and Germany while also dealing with the Italians and Maltese, who are more concerned about the EU's inability to deal with the refugees fleeing from the crisis.

But we should not forget that the EU has already contributed to the evacuation of over 100,000 refugees and is this week securing water supplies to Benghazi – for all those with doubts about the military involvement, there can be no better example of the humanitarian objective of the operation. Better EU unity should start with Germany, which is playing the leading role at present in setting Europe's economic direction. Now it has to become more comfortable with the security element of the common foreign and security policy.

For the future, it may be that we will see a de facto partitioned Libya in the short-term, where Europe can play a crucial role in supporting increasing normalisation in opposition-held territory, showing people still suffering under Gaddafi's rule the possibilities for further change. For fellow EU members who lobbied so strongly for enhanced EU foreign policy powers, Libya presents the difficult realities this entails.

• Seumas Milne shows a clear understanding of the hypocrisies and self-interest that underlie the brave words of Cameron, Sarkozy et al (Comment, 24 March). But he would do better to balance this with a rather more searching account of the hypocrisies and self-interest of those opposed to intervention, and not to talk down the very real predicament facing the besieged of Benghazi. He writes: "The idea that they [Gaddafi's forces] would have been able to overrun an armed and hostile city of 700,000 people any time soon seems far-fetched." Does he really believe that?

Paul Lewton

Newcastle upon Tyne

• In your report (23 March) about the US plane which crashed in Libya, US Rear Admiral Peg Klein was quoted as saying: "We are solely focused on those two crew members being cared for." What a pity she hasn't the time to give any focus on the Libyan farmer's son (20) who had his leg amputated as a result of being shot by the US rescue team.